Method and means for producing mosaic designs for porcelain or other fine ceramic materials



June 24, 1930. P. KORBER 1,767,081

THO AND BANS FOR PRODUCING IOSAIC DESIGNS FOR PORCBMI" OR OTHER FINBCERAIIC TERIALS Filed Aug-28,1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 24, 1930.

P. KORBER 1.7675081 IETHOD AND IEANS FOR PRODUCING IOSAIC DESIGNS FOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFKIE PAUL KRBER, 0]! BAD HOMBURG-VOR-DER-HOHE, GERMANY METHOD AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING MOSAIODESIGNS FOR PORCELAIN OR OTHER FINE CERAMIC MATERIALS Application filed August 28, 1926, Serial No. 132,292, and in Germanyv October 20, 1925.

My invention relates to the art of mosaics, and has particular reference to a new and improved method and means for proclucing artistic pictures in mosaic from porcelain or other fine ceramic materials.

According to the hitherto known processes, for instance the Florentine and the Venetian processes variously coloured pieces of glass, marble, ceramic or other similar 1 materials are attached to a support in a regular or irregular manner whereupon the mosaic elements so arranged are embedded in the soft coating of a wall intended for decoration in such a manner that the sup port consisting of paper or cardboard forms the outer surface. After the coating of the wall has set and become fully dried the paper or cardboard support is removed by being moistened with water and then washed 29 off whereupon the pattern appears on the N. as

wall in exactly the same composition and arrangement as originally displayed on the support.

It is not possible to produce with the known processes pictures of artistic value and it is also not possible with these processes to produce pictures or portraits.

My new process enables the production of mosaic porcelain pictures of any desired size which with regard to effect and appearance are equivalent to paintings or drawings.

For the production of mosaic pictures I use according to my invention small mosaic elements of porcelain, ceramic material, refined clay or other fine ceramic materials obtained by casting, punching, stamping, pressing or in any other suitable manner and of such small dimensions that continuous lines and transitions of colours are ensured. By way of illustratlon, the slzes of the improved mosaic elements may vary from the smallest capable of manufacture up to a maximum of millimeters by QOmillimeters square. For this purpose the mosaic elements are provided on their peripheries with undercut and set off parts respectively with tongues and grooves so that the elements can be placed closely together in interlocking relation and the comparatively broad joints which are a striking feature of the present mosaic pictures are avoided.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figures 1 to 8 illustrate full sized mosaic elements showing the various modes of joining them together.- Figures 9 to 12 illustrate some modes of shaping the underside of the mosaic elements for securing them to the coating of a wall, while Figure 13 represents the profile likeness of a child produced according to my improved process.

The mosaic elements are obtained according to any known process by either casting,

moulding, punching the material or by pressing it when in a dry state and each elementconstitutes or bears an appropriate portion of the delineation or contour of the design or picture to be produced.

In order to facilitate the fastening of the mosaic elements upon their support and to firmly attach them thereto the undersides of the elements may be roughened or provided with slight elevations, recesses, cuts, points or pins. For ensuring arclose con nection between the mosaic elements and avoiding distinctly visible joints the elements may be fitted on their peri heries with rabbeted portions (Figs. '1 and 2 with tongues and grooves (Fig. 7;), beveled edges (Figs. 3 andi), wedge-shaped points and corresponding recesses respectively (Fig. 5.), or they may be provided with rounded-off and hollow ends (Figs. 6 and The, special formation of the underside of the mosaic lements for facilitating the fastening to the coating of a wall is illustrated in Figures 9 to 12.

For increasing the artistic effect of the mosaic pictures the surface of them may either be made opaque or it may be glazed, painted, engraved, cut, etched or it may be treated in any other desired manner. To this end the elements may be mountedv on a clear, dull or opaque glass plate or they may be fastened on panes of any desired material and covered by a glass pane which may be either flat or convex. The artistic effect of the mosaic pictures can be further increased by employing mosaic elements consisting of a transparent or diaphonous material or by using partly transparent and partly opaque elements.

In the case where the elements are shaped to constitute small portions of the delineation or contour of the picture to be produced as well as being shaped to ensure close proximity of the top edges of adjacent elements, the picture may be built up in the manner illustrated by Figure 13.

In this figure elements a of similar form and having their upper surfaces of one colour, are used to form the main part of the background, and elements 6 of like form, but having their, upper surfaces of another colour are used to form the main portion of the picture proper; while the remaining elements, such as c and (Z, are shaped, so that one fits into the other to form in part an ap' propriate portion of the portrait and in part an appropriate portion of the background, such elements having their top surfaces coloured to correspond in colour to the background and portrait respectively.

Alternatively a picture as illustrated by Figure 13 may be built up entirely of elements, which though shaped as previously set forth, so that the top edges of those which are adjacent are in very close proximity, are not only shaped actually to constitute appropriate portions of the portrait proper, but bear their appropriate portions of the portrait or background, as the case may be, or appropriate portions of both, in colour, line or the like.

lVith my improved process it is possible to decorate the inside and outside of a house to any desired extent in an artificial manner.

obtained in order to produce pictures of ones own designs.

In consequence of the mode according to which the mosaic elements are produced it is possible to reproduce any drawing with regard to outline and colour.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mosaic assemblage comprising a plurality of relatively small tesserae of regular polygonal shape, and a plurality of irregularly shaped tesserae of difierent colors which combine in pairs to form two part tesserm of the same regular polyganol shape, the irregular joining edges of said pairs definin portions of the mosaic picture.

2. A tesserae series for pictures and the like, comprising relatively fine background tesserae, relatively fine picture body tesseree, and relatively fine transition tesserae, said tesserze being adapted to be connected to produce a coherent structure with fine joint lines, said transition tesserae consisting of pairs composed of two part tesserae, and the two parts of each pair jointly comprising a fractional part of the profile marking of the picture.

8. A tesserae series for pictures and the like, comprisin relatively fine background tesseree, relatively fine picture body tesserae, and, relatively fine transition tesserae, said tesserae being adapted to be connected to produce a coherent structure with fine joint lines, said transition tesserae consisting of pairs composed of two part tesserae, the two parts of each pair jointly comprising a fractional part of the profile marking of the picture, and the two parts of each pair forming, respectively, an appropriate portion of the background and an appropriate portion of the picture body.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

PAUL KORBER. 

